This letter won first prize in the 2023 UPU letter writing competition.

A letter by sixth-grade student Dao Khuong Duy, in which he fantasizes about becoming a superhero ensuring traffic safety, beat out 1.5 million entries to win first prize in the national UPU letter writing competition.

This is the first time Ben Tre has had a student win first prize nationally, the organizers of the UPU International Letter Writing Competition announced at the awards ceremony on the morning of May 19th. Khuong Duy's letter was praised for its conciseness, strength, and rich emotion.

With the requirement to imagine himself as a superhero, making all roads safe for children, Duy transformed himself into the superhero S-247, writing a letter to his parents on the planet Love-365, telling them about what he had done on Earth.

In an interview with VnExpress at the end of April after learning of his win, Duy explained that "S" stands for several meaningful words such as superhero, sacrifice, and safety. "24/7" signifies a superhero being present anytime, anywhere. Meanwhile, "Love-365" represents 365 days on Earth.

In the letter, the male student demonstrated his ability to read and apply a lot of current information. When mentioning the reality of traffic accidents, Duy used a comparative image to illustrate the point: "Every four minutes, the malevolent force of traffic accidents steals a little angel from the Earth."

Poet Tran Dang Khoa, head of the judging panel, said that Khuong Duy's letter deserved first prize because of its rich and eloquent language and expression. He believes that the essay was highly appreciated because of its way of incorporating data and consistently emphasizing that traffic issues are a concern for "the Earth," not just Vietnam.

Khuong Duy's letter won first prize in the UPU Letter Writing Competition.

As the winner, Duy received 5 million VND, a certificate, a "Creative Youth" badge, and a letter of commendation from Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang - Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee. This letter will be translated into French and sent to the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in Switzerland for the international competition.

Khuong Duy at the awards ceremony held on the morning of May 19th in Hanoi. Photo: Nhat Ha — Khuong Duy at the awards ceremony held on the morning of May 19th in Hanoi . Photo: *Nhat Ha*

The UPU International Letter Writing Competition has been organized by the Universal Postal Union since 1971. In Vietnam, this is the 35th time the competition has been launched, and it is also the letter writing competition with the most student participation to date. This year's theme is related to the United Nations' action program on road safety. The organizing committee received entries from January to March 2022, totaling over 1.5 million submissions.

Poet Tran Dang Khoa believes that traffic safety for children is a relatable issue, and the requirement to embody superheroes will stimulate students' imaginations. The organizers appreciated the diverse solutions proposed by the students, ranging from eliminating dilapidated roads, installing signs and barriers... to inventing safe transportation methods for children.

In addition to Khương Duy's first prize, the organizers of the UPU International Letter Writing Competition also awarded three second prizes, five third prizes, 30 consolation prizes, 61 promising writer awards, and four awards for students with disabilities.

Nhat Ha - Thanh Hang

Source link